Sights in Pingyao

Pingyao County Government Office Building

Pingyao County Government Office Building is the only well-preserved ancient county government office in China.

Zhenguo Temple

Zhenguo Temple (originally called Jincheng Temple) and its Ten-thousand Buddha Hall were built in the 7th year (963) of Tianhui in the Northern Han Dynasty which is one of the finest among the oldest wooden constructions that exist in China now. The works of coloured sculpture inside the hall were made in the Five Dynasties and are now rare in temples across the country. These works of sculpture are treasured and representative of the styles of the late Tang Dynasty.

The ancient city tower

The City Tower is located in the center of Pingyao Town and was reconstructed in the Qing Dynasty. The well-preserved relics such as colored glaze, mini dramatic figures and wood sculptures in it are all treasures of ancient Chinese cultures.

Draft Banks of Shanxi Merchants

  During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, merchants organized commercial groups that engaged in business nationwide, with Shanxi Province having some of the most important ones and Pingyao as the center. The Xiyucheng dye store on Xi Da Jie dealt in remittance and in 1824 became the first draft bank in China, dealing in bank drafts rather than in silver or gold money. Known as Rishengchang (Sunrise Prosperity), it was the cornerstone of modern Chinese banking.

  During the hundred years that draft banking lasted in China, Pingyao became the hub as other local more..

Rischengchang Draft Bank

The first draft bank of China, Rishengchang, is situated in the busiest section of Xi Da Jie, which used to be the First Street in the Qing Dynasty. The original site of Rishengchang occupied 2,324 square meters. The land used is arranged in a compact layout of buildings with definite functions. Although it was only a small compound, it was a forerunner of modern banking and once manipulated the economic lifelines of the whole Qing Dynasty in the 19th century

Pingyao City Wall

Pingyao city wall  was constructed in the West Zhou Dynasty (827—728 B.C) when General Yin Jipu stationed his troops here to prevent an invasion of barbarians. The original walls were of tamped earth and were located northwest of the present city.Pingyao city, originally named Pingtao, was built in the early Northern Wei Dynasty. In 424, its name was changed to Pingyao. Over the centuries its walls were rebuilt and lengthened from 9 li plus eighteen paces to over 12 li, (6.4 kilometers). The outside was faced with stones and bricks starting in 1370, and the wall more..

Shuanglin Temple

Sculptures inthe temple
photo by: jpz

Shuanglin Temple, originally named Zhongdu Temple, is located in Qiaotou village, six kilometers southwest of the city. In the northern Song Dynasty, in order to memorialize Buddha who attained Nirvana under two trees in a forest, it was changed into ‘Shuanglin, (双) ‘shuang’ meaning ‘two or double’, and (林) ‘lin’ meaning ‘forest.’ It was rebuilt in 571. Repaired several times, the existing buildings were constructed in the Ming Dynasty.

The compound faces south and occupies 15,000 square meters. On the east were the monks’ quarters and scripture more..

Qingxu Temple

Qingxu Temple on the north side of Dong Da Jie is now the Pingyao Museum. This Taoist temple was a place where eminent people and scholars frequently visited to study and meditate on the Taoist teachings. Qingxu Temple was first built in Tang Dynasty and prospered in the Yuan Dynasty, occupying over 6,000 square meters. The only Taoist Temple open in Pingyao, it‘s now also the only cultural and historical museum. The museum has three parts: Taoist civilization, the history of Pingyao, and valuable cultural relics.

City God Temple

 The City God Temple is located in the south-eastern part of Pingyao and occupies 7,320 squares meters. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, rebuilt in 1544, and repaired in the early Qing Dynasty. In 1859 it burned down during a temple fair and was rebuilt in 1864. The current buildings are Qing-style. The City God Temple, unlike most city god temples, includes buildings dedicated to the city god, the god of wealth and the kitchen god.

The Pingyao City God Temple is one of the few intact city god temples in China. It is famed for its size and ingenious construction. more..

Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple of Pingyao is a national relics protected unit.The main building, Dacheng Hall ,was repaired in the 3rd year of the reign of Emperor Jindading(1163),240 to 700 years before the ones in Beijing and Nanjing.There are 87 sculptures of Confucius and his disciples at the site, which is the largest number in any temple.It has a fine regular exhi -bition of the history of the ancient Imperial Examination system. The International Photography Mu -seum of Pingyao in the compound has a collection by revolutionary photographers including Sha Fei, Wu Yinxian as well as more..

Leilvtai's Old Residence

Lei Lutai (1770-1849) was a business tycoon in Qing Dynasty because he was one of the founders of China’s first draft bank and was a major figure in China’s financial history.

The old house lies in No. 11, Shuyuan Street and was built during the end of 18th century and the beginning of 19th century. The compound faces south and consists of four courtyards: the east, the west, the side east and the side west.

The compound is a typical one of this city, and provides a window to both the history of banking and to ancient architecture.

Streets and Alleys

Pingyao Ancient City has four main streets, 8 roads and 72 lanes and alleys. The layout of the streets and lanes are like the eight diagrams on a mythological Chinese tortoise shell.

The干-shaped main streets are Dong Da Jie, Xi Da Jie, Nan Da Jie (also called Ming-Qing Street), Chenghuangmiao Jie and Yamen Jie. The most important buildings and elegant residences lined these streets, with many of them remaining today, along with numerous smaller buildings.

Some of the courtyards, gates and narrow streets have deep ruts worn in the siltstone paving slabs and more..